1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to load caps for use in combination with materials handling pallets and specifically to a load cap adapted for use with push-pull attachments found on forklift trucks and the like.
2. Prior Art
It is common in the warehousing, storage and shipping of goods and especially sheeted goods to palletize those materials not only for convenience in moving, but also for protection of the contents from water damage and the like. In most instances the pallets of the prior art are made from parallel, spaced wooden planks fixedly attached to wooden support members. It is a common problem, however, that wooden pallets are very expensive and easily damaged by the excessive use and weight which is placed thereon. Moreover, wooden pallets have been known to actually cause considerable damage to products if the pallets are not used properly or if the pallet is in poor repair. This is especially true when products are palletized and stacked or decked. This problem is further emphasized when there is a substantial amount of overhang of the stacked product over the outside dimension of the particular pallet. The pallets when stacked or decked to a substantial height, as is common, have a tendency to damage the palletized goods contained on the lowermost pallets. As a result of this a need has arisen for a load cap which can be used in conjunction with conventional wooden pallets but which also is at least effective if not more effective for its intended use when used with what is sometime referred to as a "slip sheet" and which is alternatively referred to herein as a "lifting skid pallet".
An early patent dealing with this general subject matter is U.S. Pat. No. 2,530,444 (1950) to Woods which is directed to a method and apparatus for loading freight cars. In the Woods patent the materials disclosed are merely directive to spacing material for preventing goods loaded onto a box car from damaging one another during transit. U.S. Pat. No. 2,534,011 (1950) to Frye deals with a reusable pallet bin which is used only in conjunction with banded materials. U.S. Pat. No. 2,594,287 (1952) to Budd is directed to a pallet container assembly for shipping articles and is primarily directed to cardboard members which can be banded on the top and bottom of articles to prevent damage thereto. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,805 (1976) to Elaschuk discloses an appliance base which is used to protect the bottom of appliances such as refrigerators from damage during transit.
Conventionally, expensive wood, metal or plastic pallets are utilized whenever loads of loose (unbanded) sheets are to be transported or warehoused as an internal operation with any carton converting or similar operation. These units are sometimes referred to as "inprocess loads". Considerable damage occurs to these inprocess loads caused by overhang of sheets on undersized pallets, broken deck boards, protruding pallet nails, pressure of bottom tie boards on pallet runners from tiered loads making impressions in top sheets of bottom loads, etc. All such damage can be eliminated by changing from these inprocess pallets to slip sheets. However, the load cap must be used, in conjunction with slip sheets, to permit undecking of the unbanded slip sheeted unitized loads. Without a load cap, top sheets on the bottom load will be pulled off and/or damaged during the undecking operation.
From this it can be understood that there has been a long felt need for a load cap for use in combination with wooden pallets and lifting skid pallets which is simple to use, inexpensive to manufacture and at the same time which is operationally effective. These goals are normally very difficult to obtain and are not obtainable by the mere insertion of a support structure in between decked materials. These goals have been obtained by the invention contained herein.